Stuffed Bell Peppers

By KarenLee

Stuffed peppers are served one of two ways…the first as a whole pepper by slicing the top 1/2” from the pepper with seeds and membranes removed and then stuffed.

The second (and the way I prefer to serve it)… Halve peppers lengthwise through the stem. Leave the stem intact (it’s needed to hold in the stuffing), but scrape out the seeds and membranes

To Prepare Bell Peppers for Stuffing:
After preparing the peppers (as above), steam the pepper halves (or left whole) for 5 minutes. Immediately immerse in cold water and then drain well.

NOTE: Since I usually cook without measuring, please use the following recipe only as a guideline. Feel free to adjust the ingredients to your own personal taste.

Ingredients

• 2 large green bell peppers, halved
• 1 pound ground beef
• ½+ cup chopped onion
• 1 minced clove garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 1 cup cooked rice (I use whole grain)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1+teaspoon dried basil
• Milk – add just enough to make the stuffing moist
• 2 large green peppers
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese – finely shredded

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 50mins

Preparation

Step 1

Add and sauté the first four ingredients together over medium heat until the beef is cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain fat if needed. Add the eggs, tomato soup, rice, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and basil. Add just enough milk to keep the stuffing moist. Mix well. Stuff pepper halves generously and place in a lightly oiled baking dish. Bake in a 375° oven for approximately 30 minutes. A few minutes before they are ready, generously top each pepper with sharp cheddar cheese and continue baking until the cheese has melted. Yields–4 servings.

Variation: You can also combine ¼ cup of breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon of melted butter and sprinkle over each pepper before baking. You could actually top them with both but we enjoyed it with the cheese by itself.